


We Don’t Need Your Love

by Wolfslick6007



Series: We Used to be Six Wives [4]
Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: ADHD Anne Boleyn, ASD Catherine Parr, Anne sees herself as a monster, Anxiety, But they are definitely getting better!, But they make good plot devices, F/F, Henry was an a-hole and we all know it, I also told myself no angst, I have no idea what to tag in this..., I’m not trying to make every stranger a jerk, Kat and Cathy are sad, Langauge, Lina proves otherwise, Self-Doubt, Self-Esteem Issues, Ship time!, Sign Language, The queens as family, and yet here we are, clevemour is pining hard, minor self-harm, the other queens are done with it, the queens get together romantically, these queens deserve happiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 18:53:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25830133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfslick6007/pseuds/Wolfslick6007
Summary: The queens have dealt with most of their trauma. They have each other as a family now. But three pairs start to find that their relationships are becoming more romantic.
Relationships: Anne Boleyn/Catherine of Aragon, Anne of Cleves/Jane Seymour, Katherine Howard/Catherine Parr
Series: We Used to be Six Wives [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1822099
Comments: 35
Kudos: 114





	1. Gold and Green

The six queens were better than ever.

They talked to each other about their problems more. They had the medicine they needed. They were getting better.

It was like the final cloud was removed, leaving the sun shining brightly on the six of them.

Well, there was one more problem…

That problem happened to be love.

You see, while the queens all cherished their familial relationship to each other, there were more relationships forming. Romantic relationships.

After moving past their former rivalry, Catherine was always able to calm Anne down. And Anne managed to help Catherine lighten up around everyone. They looked out for each other and helped each other greatly.

Jane and Anna were drifting closer together. Ever since they helped each other with their problems, the two could feel themselves growing closer.

Cathy and Kat held something special together. They knew that they both had their own fears, and they helped each other through them.

There was much more between the soon to be couples, but to explain all of it would take up most of this story.

No, this story is about how the mentioned couples got together.

~~||~~||~~

The day had been wonderful. It was bright and sunny outside and the queens took advantage of it. They got out of the house and made their way around London for the day, no real destination in mind.

They found themselves at the park, where the chaotic trio messed around for an hour while the other three watched. They stopped by the museum again. They went to several other places as well. It was clear that the queens had been having a fun time.

Finally, it was late evening.

“I vote we stop at the café before heading home!” It was Kat who declared, walking hand in hand with Cathy.

“Lovely idea!” Jane agreed, beaming. Several other enthusiastic agreements followed. So the queens made their way over to the café.

“I assume everyone wants their usual?” Catherine asked. It was decided on the walk that the first two queens would be the ones to go inside to get the order. There was a chorus of agreements to Catherine’s question. So the golden queen nodded before stepping inside, Anne trailing behind her. The other four queens took a seat at the table outside to wait.

The wait in line to order wasn’t long and soon the two were waiting by the counter for their food and drinks to be finished.

Anne began chattering about something she had done with Kat the day before, the chewy peppermint she received from Cathy earlier having vanished. Catherine listened patiently and (although she would never outright admit it) happily.

“But then, Jane caught us! She was pissed!”

Catherine chuckled as she gave Anne a smirk. “You and Kat of all people should know to avoid messing with Jane’s baking.”

“Chaton said it might be a bad idea...” Anne said sheepishly, twisting the tangle in her hands. “But Jane looked down that morning so I wanted to do something funny to cheer her up! Just didn’t think before I did it…”

“Don’t put yourself down, Querida.” Catherine said. She placed her hand on the center of Anne’s back. The green queen hummed happily as she leaned back into the touch, her movements with the tangle becoming less anxious. “You were trying to help Jane, and that’s wonderful. But next time, please listen to Kat.”

“Yeah yeah.” Anne agreed with a playful roll of her eyes. But then her gaze softened as she glanced back at Catherine. “Thanks, Lina.”

“Don’t thank me yet. If your next prank is on me, you will be in a world of trouble. Not even reincarnation will save you.”

Anne snickered in response and opened her mouth to reply. But before she could, voices caught the duo’s ears. More specifically, Anne’s name.

“Anne Boleyn was a horrible queen, dude!”

“Yeah, I know! Look at all the bad stuff she did! She got the former queen dethroned and sent away!”

“She got innocent people killed too!”

They continued, and the sound of something hitting the floor drew Catherine’s attention back to Anne immediately. The usually bubbly queen had dropped her tangle and was staring into the open air.

“Anne, look at me—!”

But before Catherine could continue speaking or take another step towards Anne, the green queen suddenly moved into action, bolting out the front door. Catherine could see the other queens standing up through the window. But Anne raced past them down the sidewalk until she was out of sight. Anna took off after the other queen, leaving the remaining three standing at the table, clearly stunned.

Catherine took a deep, furious breath. She bent down and picked up Anne’s tangle before striding over to the table that had made the comments.

“You know, it isn’t very nice to disrespect the dead.” Catherine huffed out. Oh, she would love to destroy these idiots properly. But reincarnation was a closely held secret by the queens, so the people making the comments had no clue of the truth. They had no idea who they truly just hurt.

The two sitting at the table squinted up at her. “I don’t see how a bitch like that deserves respect anyways.”

“Yeah, she was a monster.” The second person continued, nodding their head. “I mean, look at all the bad things she did! And sleeping with multiple guys on top of it all!”

Catherine forced herself to take deep, steadying breaths. They didn’t know the truth either. They didn’t know Anne like she did. They didn’t know how Anne had no say in anything that happened. They didn’t know the energetic queen that always brightened everyone’s day. No. They didn’t know the true Anne Boleyn.

But they were woefully ignorant to some of the good Anne had done in her past life.

The other three queens came racing through the door before Catherine could form a reply.

“What happened?”

“What’s wrong with Annie?”

One of the stranger's eyes lit up with realization. “Are you really telling me that lady ran out because of the truth? Anne Boleyn wasn’t a good person, she needs to accept that… Damn...”

And then, the other queens also had their own realization. They all looked ready to spit their own fire right back at the strangers. They were about to speak up, but Catherine beat them to it. The first queen’s expression was cold.

Catherine took yet another deep breath, before looking at the two strangers. Her grip on the tangle tightened and as she spoke, her voice and expression were steel. “Anne Boleyn did some bad things, yes. But she never had any choice in the matter. None of the queens had any choice, really. And both of you clearly have no idea of the good things she did while queen. I hope you two learn to do better research before talking about people like this.”

And then, Catherine was spinning around and leading the other, still furious, queens outside.

“It had been a good day, too.” It was Jane who muttered, shaking her head.

“People are ignorant and can’t keep their mouths shut.” Kat huffed, glancing back inside through the window.

“They are simply morons who can’t respect the ‘dead.’ Anne is more important right now.” Catherine rubbed at her brow, trying to control her temper. Everyone nodded their heads and murmured their agreements.

“Anna went after her so hopefully they’ll be back soon.” Jane agreed.

“Speak her name and she appears.” Cathy spoke up, drawing everyone’s attention.

Anna was walking up to them, cursing in German. “Verrücktes Mädchen is fucking fast. I lost her when we rounded a corner.”

There were several curses from most of the members now.

“Alright, we have to split up and find Anne.” Catherine declared, taking control of the situation.

Everyone was quickly stating where they were going to go and figuring out a very quickly made plan.

“If no one finds her in two hours, meetup back at the house.” It was Jane who spoke, earning nods from everyone.

All of the remaining queens split up, quickly rushing off to find their final member.

~~||~~||~~

Catherine headed for the park. She remembered how happy Anne had been running in the forest with Anna and Kat. The other queens could handle everywhere else. Something was telling Catherine that she should check that forest.

So she did. She entered the park’s gate and headed straight for the forest. She walked around for what seemed like hours. But a glance at her phone showed that it had only been one hour rather than multiple.

Finally, Catherine came to a stop underneath a rather large tree. She took a break and decided that Anne probably wasn’t in the area. But something stopped her from leaving.

There was a noise from above her, followed by a muttered French curse.

Catherine looked up and couldn’t stop herself from gaping in surprise.

Anne was perched up high in the tree, partially hidden by both the color of her clothes as well as the tree’s leaves. She was staring down at Catherine with wide emerald eyes. Anne had clearly been crying and still had tears on her cheeks, but luckily, Catherine couldn’t spot any blood on Anne’s neck, although it was hard to tell from this far down. The green queen had frozen to her spot on a branch when Catherine looked up. Now, they both stared at each other.

Catherine’s face morphed into a small smile. “There you are, Querida. We were all worried about you.”

Anne didn’t respond. First thing first, Catherine needed to get Anne out of the tree. So she made an offer. “I have your tangle if you would like to come down and get it.”

Anne actually seemed to relax at the news that Catherine had her tangle. She began scaling back down the tree. 

Upon taking her tangle back from Catherine, Anne let out a breath of relief and began messing with the tangle, a happy smile crossing her face. Catherine smiled herself upon seeing this. While Anne was distracted, Catherine pulled out her phone and shot a text to the other queens.

GoldenMother: I have Anne. Don’t worry about us, we’ll head home soon.

After sending the text, Catherine silenced her phone and put it back in her pocket. She turned her attention back to Anne, who had sat back against the tree, still using her tangle. Only now, she was frowning, lost in thought.

Catherine sat down next to the other queen. “What’s on your mind, Querida?”

Anne jolted from her thoughts. She glanced at Catherine before glancing back down at the tangle. “It’s nothing, Lina.” Anne muttered.

But Catherine continued. “If it’s about what those two said, they were completely wrong.”

Anne growled and her grip on the tangle tightened until her knuckles were white. “You and I both know they were completely right!” She snapped, head whipping up to look Catherine in the eyes.

Anne’s eyes were filled with fury. But hidden behind that anger was despair and resignation. She truly believed their words.

“Anne—!”

“I’m a monster, Lina!” Anne cried out. Suddenly, all of her anger drained out of her and she sobbed. The tangle dropped to her lap as Anne brought her hands up to scrub at the now falling tears. “I’m a goddamn monster…”

Anne pulled her legs up to her chest as she continued to wipe at her eyes. Then, someone slowly took hold of her hands, pulling them away from her face.

Through the blurry tears, Anne could make out gold. Catherine had moved to kneel in front of her and was now holding her hands in a gentle grip.

“Querida. You and I both know that none of what happened was your fault. You never had a choice in anything. You were always manipulated at every turn. By your family and Henry. You are not a monster.”

“What about the men… George… I got them executed.”

Catherine grit her teeth. Damn Henry. “It was not you who gave the order. Henry did. Their deaths were not your fault.”

Anne stared at the ground, clearly still unsure.

So Catherine took a deep breath. “Do you want to know what I see in you, Querida?” Anne gave her a glance, urging Catherine to continue. “I don’t see a monster. I see a beautiful woman with a big heart. She is always there to make us laugh when we’re down. Her pranks and jokes light up the household. If you hurt one of us then it’s not just Anna you have to go through, we have a green queen who is just as dangerous. She doesn’t know how to keep her mouth shut sometimes, and she annoys me to no end, but that’s just a part of her, and it’s just as beautiful as the rest. I could continue, Querida, but I think I have said enough.”

Anne was staring wide eyed at Catherine, trying to take in all that Catherine had just told her. She bit her lip, about to say something else when Catherine added something else.

“And if you still believe you caused everything that went wrong in your past life… Then at least believe that you have more than redeemed yourself, Anne.”

Anne didn’t say a word, continuing to stare. Catherine deemed this good enough. Anne may not believe her yet, or maybe she did, but either way, this was a start at the very least.

During their long silence that followed, Anne was still staring, brows furrowed, at the ground. She actually looked ready to cry again.

“You have something else on your mind…” Catherine said slowly, taking in Anne’s expression.

“Lina, I don’t know…”

“Please talk to me, Querida…”

Anne began speaking slowly, clearly uncertain as to whether or not she should be saying this. “I got to thinking about how the person I have a crush on… they won’t return my feelings because of everything I did.”

Catherine felt her heart drop slightly. Anne had a crush. But she quickly stopped herself from frowning, instead giving Anne a sad smile.

“Oh, Querida… anyone would be lucky to have you as a partner.”

Anne’s cheeks flushed and she seemed to shrink slightly.

“I have my own problems with a crush…” Catherine admitted.

“Woah, really?” Anne asked, surprised and slightly intrigued. She purposefully ignored the twinge of sadness in her chest.

Catherine nodded her head with a hum. “My crush is another woman, for one thing. It took me a while to come to terms with my sexuality and my religion. Sometimes, I still struggle with it. Jane and Cathy have been a wonderful help.” Then, Catherine’s eyes darkened slightly. “And I think we all have the Henry problem…”

Anne let out a bitter laugh, her own eyes gaining a dark look. “Fear of abandonment and being abused? Yeah, the Henry problem is an accurate name.” Then, she gave Catherine a sad look. “Sorry you’re having to deal with that, Lina. I think your crush would be lucky to have you too.”

“Thank you, querida.” Catherine said sincerely, smiling gently at the green queen, who beamed right back.

“No… thank you… for all of this.” Anne said, shaking her head.

“Of course. You are anything but a monster, and I want you to understand that.”

Anne’s eyes glinted with uncertainty. “I think… your talk helped.”

Catherine nodded. “That’s all I can hope for. I hope one day, your doubts fade away… and I think I can say that I wish that for all of the others as well.”

Anne hummed in agreement and the two fell into a peaceful silence.

“So…” Anne placed a teasing smirk on her lips, wanting to lighten the mood. It doesn't reach her eyes. “Who does the great Catherine of Aragon have a crush on?”

Catherine glanced at Anne and decided it was now or never. “She happens to be sitting right next to me.”

Anne froze, her grin falling away to a stunned expression as Catherine’s words fully registered in her mind.

“You’re… you’re joking right?”

“Can I prove it to you?” Catherine asked, still conscious of their past relationships. She was inches away from Anne now. Their breath mingled together as they observed each other.

Instead of giving a response, Anne decided to take her own leap of faith and move herself closer. Catherine saw her movement and met her halfway.

The two queens captured each other's lips as they both felt joy bloom in their hearts. They relaxed into each other as they deepened the kiss.

It was as if time around them stopped as they simply enjoyed the other. But eventually, the need for air decreed that they separate.

They both sat close together, trying to wrap their minds around what just took place. Finally, Anne spoke up.

“Why me?”

“What do you mean, Querida?” Catherine questioned. She had a very good idea as to what Anne meant. But she wanted to try and hear Anne’s whole reasoning.

Anne stared at the ground, expression unreadable. “I’ve hurt you, Lina. I hurt you in our past lives and in the beginning of this life…”

Catherine watched Anne closely as the former spoke quietly. “I won’t deny that you did. But… now I know who you truly are. You are an amazing person who got dealt the wrong hand in her past life. And in the beginning of this life, you were hurt and angry. You had been killed for something you didn’t even do.” Catherine continued. “I could list all of those traits I already told you, and more, if you want to know why I fell for you.”

There was a stretch of silence.

“Why do I feel like you’re trying to become a therapist?” Anne asked with a blush and shaky grin.

Catherine chuckled. “I can assure you that isn’t the case.”

Anne shuffled closer to Catherine. “You really think all of that? After everything?”

“I do.” Catherine stated, nodding her head.

Anne couldn’t find any words. So she captured Catherine’s lips in another kiss.

They soon separated again and both stared at the other with joy and still a little bit of shock. They fell back into silence, basking in the moment.

“Why don’t we head home?” Catherine finally asked, glancing toward the now darkening sky. “It’s getting late, and I’m sure the others are worried.”

“Home sounds wonderful…”

~~||~~||~~

It was night by the time they reached home, the sun completely gone. When they stepped into the house, it was clear that Jane had forced everyone else to bed.

“Are you hungry?” Catherine asked in a whisper, not wanting to wake the others. They never got to eat back at the café.

“Famished!” Anne agreed with a small laugh. The two found leftovers from the previous night's dinner and quickly ate. They shared quiet laughter as they whispered back and forth, pure happiness fluttering in their chests. They were both still feeling disbelief that it had actually happened. That they returned each other’s feelings.

Anne was far more cheerful and calm than she had been in the park. Catherine was chuckling and smiling as she listened to and told stories.

Eventually, they finished their food. So the two women headed upstairs. They separated for a moment to go change into sleep clothes in their own rooms.

After changing, Catherine carefully made her way to Anne’s room. She paused upon opening the door. Anne stood in front of the mirror. The green queen was in her sleep clothes and her hair was down, but she still had her choker around her neck. Her fingers were tracing the black fabric and she had a thoughtful look on her face.

Catherine stepped over, making sure Anne could see her in the mirror. She gently wrapped her arms around the shorter queen’s stomach, holding her close. Anne leaned back into the embrace with a happy hum.

“I understand if you are uncomfortable, Querida.” Catherine said soothingly. “You can keep the choker on if you want, as long as it won’t hurt you.”

Anne bit her lip, but she knew she could trust Catherine. She stepped forward out of Catherine’s arms and held her hair out of the way of the clasp.

Catherine was about to say something, surprised, when Anne practically whispered, “Help me take it off?”

Catherine’s gaze softened. “Of course, Querida.” She carefully undid the clasp, making sure to avoid touching the raised skin.

Once the choker was pulled away, Anne slowly turned around to face Catherine. The queens had seen her scar a million times before Anne got her choker. But this was the person she fell in love with looking at her scar.

As far as Anne was concerned, the scar was a mark of her past mistakes. The past mistakes Catherine knew about. The scar was ugly, just as Anne’s past was. 

Anne was snapped out of these thoughts by Catherine moving.

The golden queen gently leaned down to place a kiss on Anne’s forehead. “You are beautiful, Querida. The scar could never ruin that.”

Anne found a small smile stretching across her lips. “Thanks, Lina.” She replied, kissing Catherine’s cheek in return. Then, she added with a smirk. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

“I could argue the same, Querida.”

Anne tittered as she shared a smile with Catherine. The two made their way over to Anne’s bed and laid down.

Anne curled up close to Catherine, laying her head on the golden queen’s chest and letting Catherine pull her closer. Anne wrapped her arms around Catherine’s middle in response.

“Is this okay?” Anne asked quietly.

“I’m perfectly fine.” Catherine replied. “You?”

“This is perfect.” Anne murmured back. “Can we talk more in the morning? About what we are… and our fears?”

Catherine’s hand trailed up to Anne’s head, where she gently began to scratch at Anne’s scalp. She has done this before and Anne loved it. It had sparked the joke that both of the beheaded cousins were like cats, instead of just the younger cousin. “Of course we can, Querida. For now, let’s just go to sleep. It’s been a long day and we have all the time in the world to talk.”

Anne hummed happily at both the touch and Catherine’s words as her eyes drifted close. It didn’t take long for Catherine to follow.

The two ex-queens held each other close as they drifted to sleep.

~~||~~||~~

Over the next few days, Catherine and Anne hid their relationship. They were still unsure how the others would react to their relationship. They logically knew the other queens would love them no matter what, but there was still that small anxiety in the back of their heads.

They would share kisses and sweet whispers when alone. They were still trying to take things slow. Their last, very much failed, relationship called for that. But their trust in each other as family had already been built, now they simply needed more trust in each other as lovers.

They had almost been caught by the other queens several times. Like the time they had made out and Kat almost caught them.

Their first date was almost busted when the queens got curious about where they were going alone together.

So, in hindsight, they really should have been more surprised by the fact that it had taken this long for the others to find out.

Everyone was preparing for a movie night. At some point while Catherine and Anne were upstairs, the others left to the store to get ice cream for everyone. If they took the opportunity to be together, then who could blame them?

So both of them found themselves in Catherine’s room. Simple kissing and teasing soon turned into a make out session, with Anne against the wall, eagerly meeting Catherine’s lips with her own. They very quickly lost track of time.

But it turned out, a trip to the store didn’t take long at all.

There were several noises from the doorway that made them stop in their tracks.

There was loud laughter from Anna, a sort of squeaking noise from Kat, shocked silence from Jane, and a blank stare from Cathy.

“I knew it!” Anna announced as her laughter finished. She held an extremely smug grin, directed at the queens next to her. Then she spun to the couple. “When did you two get together?”

Catherine and Anne were both taken aback by Anna’s simple reaction. It was as if they hadn’t been pinning each other against the wall and making out. It was Catherine who slowly answered. “That night when Anne ran off…”

Anna’s grin got wider. Anne turned her attention to Kat. “You’re not upset, are you?” She asked, seeing the shocked look on Kat’s face.

That shocked look morphed into a grin. “Of course not! I’m happy for you, Annie.” She gave them both a teasing smile. “Though, I definitely wish I didn’t find out by seeing you two all over each other.”

Anne yelped as she tried to hide her blush. Meanwhile, Cathy glanced at Catherine, who was now watching her.

“As long as you two are happy.” Cathy said with a small smile and nod, as if sensing Catherine’s question. “Then that’s all I need to hear, Madrina.”

“Yeah, like Cathy said.” Kat scratched the back of her head sheepishly. “Sorry for freezing like that. I was surprised.”

They didn’t know this now, but each of the other four queens would pull both of them aside separately to tell both of them to look out for and protect each other, accompanied by passive aggressive, almost playful, threats. And Catherine and Anne were less afraid, and more warmed by the fact that their little family cared enough about both of them to warrant a talk, even though they all trusted both of them extremely. And when that happened with both of the other couples as well, then no one was really surprised.

“Anyways!” Anna said before anyone else could add something. “Jane and Kat owe Cathy and I money!”

Anne couldn’t stop the cackle that escaped her lips. “You guys bet on us?”

“We bet on whether or not you guys got together the night Anne ran off, or the night you guys went out alone together.” Jane explained with her own nervous laugh.

“Cathy and Anna won?” Catherine asked. She sounded annoyed, but everyone could see the amused smile that betrayed her tone.

“That’s right.” Cathy agreed, an almost smug smirk on her face.

The chatter continued for another minute, everyone debating the bet, congratulating Catherine and Anne, and general chatter about the secret most of the queens had just discovered.

“Why don’t we start the movie night, queens? Before the ice cream melts?” It was Jane who finally asked, beginning to herd the other three downstairs. There was a chorus of agreements.

The other queens trotted out of the room, leaving Catherine and Anne still standing there.

“Looks like we didn’t have to worry after all, Querida.” Catherine murmured, her voice accompanied by a small laugh.

“I figured we didn’t. Just… anxiety, y’know?” Anne replied.

“I get it.” Catherine said with a nod. “Now, why don’t we join the others for that movie.”

“But what if I want more kisses, ma reine?” Anne asked teasingly, kissing Catherine’s jaw.

“There’s nothing stopping us from kissing downstairs, now that the others know our little secret.” Catherine answered smoothly, biting back a laugh.

Anne tilted her head, a smirk tracing her lips. “You have a point.”

Before there could be any more banter, a shout came from downstairs. “Oi, lovebirds! We’re going to take all the ice cream for ourselves if you don’t get down here!”

Both queens paused. Then, Anne was quickly rushing out of the room. Catherine couldn’t hold back her laughter any longer as she trailed after her energetic girlfriend.

There was no one else that she would rather have been blessed with in this new life. They didn’t need Henry’s love, they had each other now. And everyone around them supported them fully.


	2. Silver and Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane and Anna’s pining was painfully obvious to the other queens. Which is why they plan to get them together! As you do for your best friends (family) and fellow ex-wives.

It was Sunday morning, a week or two after the other queens found out about Catherine and Anne’s relationship. Catherine had left for church and Anna was out on her morning run. Cathy was holed up in her room.

Jane, Anne, and Kat were all in the kitchen. Jane was finishing up a late breakfast as Anne and Kat sat at the counter. The beheaded cousins had the switch on the table and were racing each other.

Soon enough, Anna came in from her jog. The red queen was clad in sweatpants and a tank top that showed off her stomach and arms. She was sweating from the outside heat and the physicality of her recent activity.

Immediately, Kat noticed something.

Jane was staring almost comically at Anna. Her face a deep red.

Kat giggled and nudged Anne. The green queen grumbled for a moment, keeping her eyes resolutely on the screen. Kat paused the game, causing Anne to glare at her in surprise. Kat tilted her head silently towards Jane and Anna.

Upon noticing the sight, Anne’s anger faded away. She shared a look and quiet laughter with Kat.

Anna trotted over to the refrigerator, calling out her greetings as she pulled out a water bottle. “Hey, Jane!”

The woman jolted slightly and met Anna’s eyes. “Ah, yes?”

“Breakfast smells great! Do you need any help?”

“No, no! It will be done in a few minutes.” Jane said quickly before turning her attention back to the pan. Anna hummed her acknowledgement before pacing over to the beheaded cousins.

Anna leaned over the counter to see what they were doing. Anne tittered upon seeing Jane still staring at Anna.

The red queen glanced at Anne with a chuckle. “And what’s so funny, Verrücktes Mädchen?”

Anne gave Anna a smirk. “Just thinking about how I’m about to beat Chaton.”

“Oh really?” Kat spoke up, giving Anne a playful glare that was quickly returned.

Another minute later, and they finished the race.

“AGAIN?!” Anne cried immediately. “You got that red shell at the last second! That wasn’t fair!”

Kat simply laughed at Anne’s anger. Anna was quick to join in as Jane asked them all to be a little quieter, mainly Anne, her tone anything but scolding.

~~||~~||~~

Just when the beheaded cousins thought it couldn’t get both cuter and funnier, it did.

Throughout breakfast, the glances continued. Only, it wasn’t just Jane this time. In between the conversations, Anna was also giving Jane glances. Kat and Anne kept watching them like a tennis match. Cathy watched the entire scene, including the cousins, with curiosity.

Catherine arrived towards the end of breakfast, a muffin from the nearby café in hand. She also looked very amused by the scene taking place, although she hid it much better than the beheaded cousins, who were also a main source of her amusement.

After breakfast, both of the blushing queens were quickly excusing themselves to their rooms.

But before Kat could go her own way, someone stopped her in the hallway.

“Chaton! I need your assistance!”

Kat grinned. She always looked forward to whatever chaos she could get into with her cousin. And she had a very good idea as to what the chaos would be pointed towards.

“Is it about Jane and Anna being obviously gay?”

“Ding ding!” Anne agreed with a smirk. “I want to get them together! So we should go and talk to them!”

Kat hummed. To be honest, she had no idea if it was a smart idea or not. But she was leaning very much towards agreeing.

“Please, Chaton?” Anne asked, hugging Kat’s arm and looking up at her pleadingly.

“Why me and not Catalina?”

“Lina would be harder to convince. Plus, she wanted to spend some time with Cathy!”

Kat hummed in response. She seemed to reach a quick agreement with herself. Before she could agree, Anne spoke again.

“C’mon Kat! We should talk to them! Those two would be cute together, so we should see if we can help them get together!” Anne said, determination clear in her eyes.

Kat chuckled as she listened to Anne, who was still hanging off her arm. “Alright, I was going to agree anyways.”

Anne beamed happily. “I’ll talk to Anna!”

Kat agreed with a small laugh, giving her cousin a nod as the green queen quickly released her already loose grip and made her way upstairs. Kat went down the hallway and stopped in front of the silver door.

She took a deep breath. She agreed to Anne’s plan. But if Jane refused to talk, Kat knew she shouldn’t push. Jane had never done that to her, so she would offer the same courtesy.

The door opened and Jane stood there, smiling at Kat. “Hello again, Kat!” Then her face twisted into a concerned frown. “Is everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine! I was just wondering if we could talk?”

“Oh, of course!” Jane replied, an almost nervous smile appearing on her lips as she stepped aside. Both queens took a seat on Jane’s bed.

“So… what’s going on between you and Anna?” Kat asked immediately with a teasing smile.

“Ah… what do you mean?” Jane asked shyly, beginning to fiddle with her hands.

“I mean the looks you were giving her.” Kat giggled. “I’m going to make a guess and say you have a crush.”

“Is it that obvious?” Jane asked with a nervous laugh.

“Only a little.” Kat said with a small shrug. Then, she beamed at Jane as she continued. “Maybe you should tell her. I think you two would be very cute together, and your feelings definitely seem mutual!”

After a moment, Jane replied, and her next words slowly removed Kat’s smile.

“I can’t tell her.” Jane said both quietly and quickly, shaking her head with a depressed expression. There was a small tint of fear that Kat only barely noticed.

“Something’s wrong…” Kat whispered, noticing the look on Jane’s face. Her next words were spoken very cautiously. “You’re scared to tell Anna… Is it because of him?”

Jane froze before quickly looking away, messing with her hands nervously. She didn’t answer, and Kat knew she had most likely hit the mark.

“Please tell me what’s wrong?” Kat asked slowly, observing Jane. “I’m not going to push, but I'm here if you need me.”

Jane took an almost shuddering breath as she glanced to Kat before quickly looking away again. It took another minute for her to finally speak. “What if I’m not good enough? What if I mess up?”

And suddenly, everything clicked. Kat remembered everything Jane had told the queens about her anxieties. How Henry made her feel like nothing she was doing was right.

“Mum… look at me.”

That nickname— title— was what brought Jane’s eyes back up to meet Kat’s.

“There is no way you could mess anything up in Anna’s eyes. I’ve seen the way she looks at you. That’s love. And a person who loves you could never do anything like Henry did.” Kat said, determination clear in her voice. “You two absolutely deserve each other.”

Jane blinked, wide eyed at Kat. She bit her lip as she pondered the younger woman’s words. Kat trailed into silence, waiting for Jane’s reply.

Eventually, Jane spoke up, a look of concentration and thought crossing her gaze. “Thank you, Kat… I think I would like to be alone for right now, if that’s alright…”

“Of course!” Kat agreed easily with a smile. She held her arms out for a hug, which Jane quickly returned. After they pulled away, Kat stood and made her way to the door. As she exited, she spoke again before the conversation could fully end. “I hope you feel better, Mum.”

As soon as Kat couldn’t hear her, Jane mumbled something to herself.

“I hope so too…”

~~||~~||~~

While Kat had her talk with Jane, Anne was doing the same with Anna. Unlike Kat, it seemed Anne’s approach was far less cautious.

“So, you and Jane, huh?” Anne asked, flopping down next to Anna on the bed.

“Explain.” Anna said simply, glancing at Anne over her phone.

“I noticed the way you two kept looking at each other!” Anne snickered playfully, reaching up to poke at Anna’s arm.

Anna put her phone aside, knowing where this was going. “So friends can’t look at each other?” Anna asked with a small smirk.

Anne rolled her eyes. “Don’t play dumb with me, Maman Ours! You and I both know that you like Jane!”

Anna rolled her eyes, a frown on her face. “Maybe I do, Anne. But maybe I can’t tell her.”

Anne tilted her head, taking in both Anna’s expression and words. The next minute was spent with Anne poking at Anna, literally and figuratively, as she asked more questions, making sure they weren’t going too far.

“Drop it, Anne.” Anna huffed, as she became more and more irritated.

“Come on, Anna! I just wanna help!” Anne continued. “Why are you so scared?!”

“Okay, fine!” Anna finally seemed to snap. Her usual laid back demeanor (mixed with chaotic energy) was swapped for anger and annoyance. “The problem is that Jane already went through so much bullshit with Henry! So what if I end up hurting her too? What if she abandons me like that asshole did? What if everything goes fucking wrong?!”

Anna cut herself off, glaring at Anne.

Anne was scowling right back at her. “Yeah, I’m calling bullshit on that one. You and I both know there’s no way you would ever willingly hurt Jane. Who is there for her the majority of the time? You. Who helped her with her anxieties and still does now? You again. And Jane has done the exact same, she would never hurt you either. I mean, Lina and I are in a happy relationship, even after everything, so what’s stopping you two?” Then, Anne gained a cheeky grin as she finished with a joking tone. “Don’t lose your head about this and just ask her out!”

Anna rolled her eyes at the joke (she hid her grimace, Anne sometimes dealt with her trauma through jokes, she knows this), but smirked. Although her eyes displayed a different emotion. “Thanks Anne.”

Anne beamed proudly.

“But I still don’t think I can ask her out.”

Anne’s face fell again.

“So thanks for the talk, but I think I’d like to be alone for a while.” Anna continued before Anne could demand her reasoning. 

Anne stared at Anna for another second before slowly nodding and quickly exiting the room.

Anna took a deep breath as Anne left, collapsing back onto her bed as she let her thoughts consume her. Maybe Anne was right. But still…

And later, after everything had blown over, Anne would apologize. She would realize just how pushy she had been. But Anna would apologize too for trying to push Anne away (Anne would proceed to argue about how Anna shouldn’t be sorry for that). The chaotic pair would make it up to each other in their own small ways.

When Anne reached the bottom of the stairs, she met Kat.

“Your talk didn’t do anything?” Anne asked, already knowing the answer as she saw her cousin’s dejected look.

“Nope.” Kat said with a sigh, shaking her head.

“Mine didn’t either.” Anne huffed out, crossing her arms.

“They’re too scared, Annie. Who knows how long it will take for them to begin dating, or if they even will.” Kat said, throwing her arms up with a groan at that last thought.

“Yeah, I’m not letting that happen.” Anne said, a determined grin crossing her face. “I’m gonna get them together. Are you in?”

“Of course!” Kat said, her grin matching Anne’s. “Watching them dance around each other almost physically hurts at this point.”

“Then, Operation Clevemour is a go!”

They were going to need help for this one. So they went off to find the remaining duo.

~~||~~||~~

The beheaded cousins easily found the godmother and goddaughter in the latter’s room. Catherine was perched on Cathy’s bed and the latter was clicking away at her fidget cube as she wrote. The two were having a peaceful conversation.

Anne and Kat trotted into the room. Before anyone could speak, Anne made her way over and flopped onto Cathy’s bed. She rolled so she was on her back and her head was on Catherine’s lap.

“We need help.” Anne said simply, looking pleadingly up at Catherine. Her exaggerated pout (that kept twitching into a smirk) revealed her joke.

Catherine rose an eyebrow, a small laugh bubbling from her lips. “You never outright admit to needing help, so this must be serious.”

“The utmost importance!” Anne agreed with a quick nod as Kat sat on the end of the bed. Catherine and Cathy both glanced at Kat for an explanation, drawing a laugh from the youngest queen.

“It’s about Jane and Anna.” Kat told them.

“Does it have something to do with the staring?” Cathy asked, rolling her chair closer to the bed.

“Yep. Anne and I went to talk to them.” Kat explained. She went on to explain the women’s fears and anxieties. Anne interjected with her own details every so often. The explanation didn’t take very long.

“And then they kicked us out.” Kat finished.

Anne quickly sat up, holding a fist in the air. “So we gotta get them together!” She declared. “Show them that there’s nothing to worry about and that they deserve each other!”

“Shhh! We don’t want them to hear!” Kat replied, but she couldn’t hold back her laughter at her cousin's energy.

“I’m in.” Cathy agreed easily with a chuckle. Then she glanced at Catherine, who still looked unsure. “Please, Madrina? You can back out later if you want to…”

Catherine had to admit she was at least a little intrigued if the plan would work or not. And of course, she too was tired of the pining looks shared between the third and fourth queen’s.

“At least I can say I tried to warn you.” Catherine smirked, shaking her head. Anne beamed and pressed a kiss to Catherine’s cheek.

Kat glanced over everyone. “So what are we supposed to do? Just… force them to talk to each other?”

“There’s always the closet trick…” Catherine said with a hum.

“No, no. It has to be more romantic.” Cathy interjected, shaking her head.

“So what about leaving notes and gifts?” Anne asked.

“Actually, I think I have a better idea…”

~~||~~||~~

One night, the queens were supposed to be going out to dinner. They had planned this for about a week and were all ready to go.

Well, that was what Jane thought. She put on her favorite cardigan and made her way downstairs. Only to pause at the bottom of the steps.

Instead of dressed and ready to go, Catherine was laying on the couch, a blanket draped over her. The golden queen’s head was in Anne’s lap, her eyes closed. The green queen wasn’t ready either and she was gently combing Catherine’s scalp with her fingernails.

Jane was the only one out of the remaining four queens to have made it downstairs, and she was quickly striding over to the couple.

“Catalina, are you alright?” Jane asked, concern filling her voice and expression.

Catherine’s eyes opened and she tilted her head to look at the younger woman. “Phantom pains.” She said simply with a small wince before closing her eyes again.

“I don’t know if we’ll be able to go out with you guys.” Anne continued, glancing up at Jane for only a moment before turning her attention back to Catherine, continuing the soothing movement of her hand that made Catherine hum happily.

“What’s going on?” Anna said, slipping on her red leather jacket as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

Jane turned to Anna, brows furrowed with concern. “Catalina is having phantom pains.”

Anna’s frown deepened. Kat and Cathy joined them soon after. The last two queens looked only mildly worried compared to the third and fourth queens.

“Don’t worry about me, queens. You deserve to go enjoy yourselves.” Catherine huffed, giving Jane and Anna an almost playful glare.

“Will you two be alright if we leave you here?” Cathy asked quietly, watching the two closely.

“Maybe we should just reschedule the reservation…” Jane suggested, clear concern still on her face.

An emotion flashed over the faces of the first two and last two queens. Was that panic Jane and Anna spotted?

Luckily, Catherine interceded before anyone could ask another question. “Jane, this has been planned for several days now. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be with Anne. You all deserve to go have fun.”

Anna spoke up now, watching Catherine carefully. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. Anne and I can watch a movie or something. Have some alone time.” Catherine said clearly, giving Jane and Anna a small glare. “Go have fun. All of you.”

“Well… as long as both of you are alright with it, I don’t see why we can’t go out!” Anna agreed, seeing reason in Catherine’s words. Jane still looked unsure. 

“We can call you guys if we need to!” Anne pushed. “Promise!”

This finally seemed to convince Jane to agree. They made their way out of the house a few minutes later, Kat and Cathy trailing behind them. The latter duo were trying very hard to hide their satisfied grins.

And after making sure the group was completely out of the house, Anne gained a triumphant smile and Catherine slowly sat up.

“I hate faking chest pains, but those two need to get together.” Catherine hummed. “Although, it wasn’t a complete lie… I do have a small pain.”

Upon hearing this, Anne shifted over and situated herself in Catherine’s lap, pressing a kiss to the golden queen’s jaw as she did. “Would a movie and kisses make it feel better? Maybe even some alone time in bed later, if you feel up to it?”

Catherine chuckled and gave Anne a kiss in return, a smirk tracing her lips at the hidden meaning of that last line. “There’s nothing stopping us from trying your method.”

Anne grinned cheekily. “Then that’s what we’ll do! Well… that and hope the rest of the plan goes this well.”

Catherine had a knowing smile on her face. “I think it will work out just fine…”

~~||~~||~~

It was dusk and also the busiest time of the restaurant, people piled at tables and booths around them.

Cathy looked a little nervous at the noisy atmosphere. But she simply remained focused on her friends and the fidget cube in her hands as she quietly slipped on her headphones.

Kat also looked slightly nervous, although her case was more towards the amount of people around them. She stuck close to the others, placing herself on the inside of the booth.

It didn’t take long for a friendly waiter to greet them and take their drink orders.

“I’ve got to go to the bathroom.” Kat said, she gently tugged Cathy’s sleeve, making sure the blue queen could see the movement. “Come with me?”

Cathy smiled as she nodded. “Of course.”

“Be safe, you two.” Jane spoke up.

“We have each other, mum. We’ll be okay.” Kat replied with a small laugh.

“Never hurts to say it though.” Anna said with her familiar chuckle and nod.

Kat and Cathy headed in the direction of the bathroom, which was luckily towards the front of the restaurant. As soon as they were out of sight, they headed for the entrance and left the restaurant. From there, the duo would make their way to a bookshop and café, not wanting to waste a night out.

It was a minute or two after they left that the waiter returned to the table. “Have you guys decided what you want to eat tonight?” The waiter asked, already pulling out his pen and paper.

“We’re waiting for our friends to get back from the bathroom.” Anna explained, putting her menu down. “We’ll need another minute.”

“You mean the one in pink and the one in blue?” The waiter asked. He had seen and recognized the two leaving as the other two customers from this table. “I saw them leaving earlier.”

Both queens seemed to realize what happened at the same time.

“Oh mein Gott—!”

“They left—?!”

The waiter seemed to recognize that it would take another minute for him to receive their orders. He backed away almost sheepishly, heading for another nearby table.

This left the silver and red queens to each other and their thoughts.

“First Catalina and Anne, now Kat and Cathy! Those queens are up to something!” Anna said, shaking her head. Anna had a feeling she knew exactly what they were all trying to do.

“I think they tried to set us up on a date.” Jane muttered, giving a voice to Anna’s thoughts.

Both women looked anywhere but each other. There was a stretch of silence as they both pondered this. Finally, Anna cleared her throat, prompting Jane to look back at her.

Instead of her usual, confident demeanor, Anna wore a shy look on her face. Although, she was clearly trying to hide it. “Would you… like to make this a date?”

Jane felt her cheeks burn hotter, if that was even possible. “Well, it sounds like a nice idea to me.”

“Then it’s a date.” Anna said with an almost beaming smile. She felt a burst of confidence. But fear still clawed at her heart. What if Jane was only agreeing to make her happy? What if she was actually making Jane uncomfortable? 

And even if this was happening. Even if it wasn’t some sort of dream or hallucination. If Jane was actually agreeing to call this a date. Who said there would be a second one? Who said they would wind up together?

Who said Anna wouldn’t mess this up?

But the fourth queen quickly shoved those anxieties to the back of her mind. Those thoughts were a problem for future Anna. Right now, she was going to enjoy her out of nowhere date. She would have to find a way to thank the others.

And now, she has the perfect opportunity to confess. The others went through this trouble, so perhaps it was time to take that step.

Jane was having similar anxieties. Accompanied by her most piercing anxiety. What if she made a mistake and Anna decided she never wanted to date her?

“What’s wrong, Liebling?” Anna asked gently, seeing the look on Jane’s face.

“Ah, Sorry… Can we talk about it later? I would like to enjoy our meal right now…” Jane replied quietly.

“Of course.” Anna agreed easily. “What do you think you’re going to order?”

The lull of the conversation worked to ease Jane’s anxieties. She found herself cheering up and enjoying their conversations greatly. The rest of their meal (date) went smoothly.

After leaving the restaurant, the two queens sat at a bench nearby. They enjoyed the night sky and each other’s presence.

“I need to talk to you about something, Jane.” Anna said slowly, glancing at the woman sitting next to her. She was going to do this. She was going to do this before she gave herself the chance to back out.

“Oh, yes?” Jane spoke quietly, her voice laced with a faint sadness. Was this the rejection she had been waiting for? What went wrong?

(No going back.)

“I have been falling in love with you.” Anna said slowly, turning to look Jane in the eye.

Jane stared wide eyed in response. Anna took this to mean Jane felt the complete opposite.

“Shit, sorry—!”

“No, no!” Jane said quickly, cutting Anna off. “I… I feel the same.”

It was now Anna’s eyes who widened. She held back a breath of relief. “Really?”

“Really.” Jane said in a near whisper.

The red and silver queens both stared at each other, wide eyes turning into smiles of pure relief. But something in their gazes still held anxiety.

“You looked almost terrified when I brought up making the restaurant a date earlier…” Anna said cautiously, her expression returning to a frown. “I thought you didn't like me back.”

Jane looked away from Anna and down at her hands, which were clasped on her lap, instead. “I actually wanted to tell you everything earlier… but I kept thinking to myself… What if you just didn’t like me and I ruined everything. Even worse, what if it turned out to be like Henry? Yelled at for my mistakes again in this life? I don’t want to go through that again…”

“I would never do that to you, Liebling.” Anna said, shaking her head as a small growl exited her throat. Damn Henry.

“God. I’m not implying that you are anything like Henry. The opposite really… but…”

“After months, years, of being yelled at, it gets stuck in your head.” Anna finished for her, nodding sadly.

“Exactly! I was still scared…” Jane continued admitting quietly. “After everything. I didn’t know if I was good enough. I wasn’t good enough for Henry, so would I be good enough for you?”

Anna took a deep breath before giving Jane a sad smile. “I was scared too.”

“Anna of Cleves? Scared?” Jane joked in a whisper, trying almost desperately to lighten the mood.

“I know!” Anna laughed for a moment before continuing with what she had been saying, looking away from Jane. “But yeah. I was scared. I was scared I was going to fuck up somehow. I figured you could use more time after the shit show our past lives were. And… I was scared I could hurt you like Henry did. Still can, really.”

“Oh love… I already told you. You could never be like Henry.” Jane murmured, moving her head to meet Anna’s eyes.

“No one can be as bad as that dick.” Anna agreed with a laugh. But it wasn’t filled with the usual energy. “But Jane… I just wanted to let you take that step when you were ready.”

“I think I’m ready for that step.” Jane gave Anna a smile, bigger than before. “But… we have to agree to listen to each other. Our last relationships were… toxic… so we have to be patient and take it one step at a time together. That includes telling each other about our fears and feelings. Oh, but— only if we’re comfortable with it—!”

“That’s a promise.” Anna gently cut Jane off. “And we will never abandon each other either. No matter what happens… we won’t throw each other away.” Jane could see the pain in Anna’s eyes. She knew the other woman was recalling past events.

“That’s also a promise, love.” Then, Jane got to her feet, turning to smile at Anna. “You are beautiful Anna. I told you I would keep reminding you of this. So… you are beautiful.”

Anna blushed but it also seemed to give her a confidence boost that made Jane joyful.

“Jane Seymour, would you allow me the honor of calling you my girlfriend?” Anna asked with a smile, getting to her feet and standing with Jane.

Jane couldn’t help but laugh at the line, going along with the joke. “Of course, Anna of Cleves! But only if I can call you my girlfriend in return.”

Anna grinned. “Wouldn't have it any other way! Now then, would you like for me to escort us home?”

“That sounds wonderful…”

Jane gently pressed a kiss on Anna’s cheek. Anna blushed but beamed, placing a kiss of her own on Jane’s cheek in reply.

They would walk home, unable to stop the grins on their faces and laughter from their lips, not that they tried in the first place. They would sit on the couch, talking more, that giddy feeling never fading away. Soon, they would fall asleep there, curling into each other’s embrace.

~~||~~||~~

The next morning, the other queens would wake up and find an adorable sight in the living room. 

Anna and Jane were on the couch, both were asleep sitting up. Anna had an arm wrapped around Jane’s shoulders and her face was buried in the shorter woman’s hair. Jane’s arms were wrapped around Anna’s waist and the silver queen had her face pressed against Anna’s shoulder.

Muffled conversation ensued in the background.

“Do you think they got together?”

“Wanna wake them up and find out?”

“Not happening. We are going in the kitchen and we are going to make a nice breakfast. Hopefully, it will be done quietly.”

“You know that’s probably not going to happen, right?”

“I can dream…”

They soon found out that dream wouldn’t come true when a loud crash woke the two up anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translate:  
> Verrücktes Mädchen = Crazy Girl  
> Chaton = Kitty  
> Maman Ours = Mama Bear  
> Madrina = Godmother  
> Oh mein Gott = Oh my God  
> Liebling = Love
> 
> Woo! Okay, it’s been a bit longer than it usually takes me to post a chapter. Writer’s block decides to make a fun appearance, I’ve been a bit busy, and my classes have started up again (I hope you are all doing great despite the pandemic btw!). So it will take me longer to get chapters out, sorry not sorry!
> 
> But there’s some more Clevemour for you guys! Next up (and hopefully out soon enough) is Parrward!


	3. Pink and Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat and Cathy had bad experiences with love. Multiple. This has lasting effects and when there is a kiss, things spiral out of control.
> 
> But the other queens will always be there to help them, they know this by now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly neighborhood reminder that I am not an expert when it comes to ASD (and ADHD)! Also I was half asleep when proofreading (I just wanted to post this before I changed everything again (which has been known to happen with me)) so if there are any mistakes or anything of the sort, I’m sorry.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy!

It was late evening, well after supper. The sun had finally fallen and the moon was beginning its ascent in the sky.

Most of the queens were curled up in the living room. Kat and Cathy were in the latter’s bedroom.

The two queens had gone out again that morning, picking up some breakfast and new books at the quaint little bookshop and café nearby.

Now, they sat on Cathy’s bed, facing each other. Their books were perched on their laps as they talked excitedly about them.

Both women had begun ranting, something the other found adorable. Cathy had started a new fiction series and Kat had started a historical fiction.

As they continued sharing details, the two couldn’t keep their eyes off the other.

In Cathy’s eyes, Kat was one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen.

And not just by looks. Kat was a kind and caring person. She was stronger than others gave her credit for, all of the queens knew this. And when they first came back, everyone could remember times when they were caught off guard by Kat’s sarcastic and joking side, the one that had been hidden away at the start by tragedy and trauma. Kat was strong, funny, protective, and so many more traits that Cathy could describe if she had the time.

She had thought the other queen was beautiful before, but after the new additions of her choker and pink hair, there was a new energy in Kat. It was as if life had been sparked back into her once again. And Cathy wasn’t capable of looking away, something she knew Anna and Anne were very aware of that morning. That specific event had been followed up by days worth of teasing, joking, and sly looks. Just like then, she couldn’t take her eyes off her crush.

Kat was having the same train of thoughts. She remembered how quiet Cathy had been when they were first reincarnated. After the arguments died down and Cathy made more and more appearances, Kat had felt herself being drawn to the other woman.

Cathy was beautiful with her curly hair and blue eyes, but she was just as beautiful inside as on the outside. She also loved the many little quirks and tells Cathy had. She would flap her hands when excited and extremely happy, it was rare for the queens to see (apparently having to do with everyone stopping her from stimming like that in her past life, something that angered every single queen) but now that she was more comfortable, she would do it when really happy around the others, and Kat always took notice of the other tells Cathy had for her emotions. There were Cathy’s rants, how she would begin humming when she had a new idea for a story, and much more that Kat had noticed through their time together. Kat loved every part of Cathy, and it was impossible for her to ever deny it, even if she wanted to.

They had seen each other at their worst, and they were falling in love just the same.

While they observed each other, a playful argument had been taking place. One that was coming to an end.

“It’s a good book.” Cathy said with a huff of laughter, ending the argument as she placed her book down on her bed.

“I’m glad you really like it.” Kat said with a soft smile. She also sat her book off to the side.

“Yeah, the same to you.” Cathy replied as she focused fully on Kat again.

There was a sudden appearance of a familiar pull between them. One they had felt before. Their gazes lingered on each other’s lips. And finally, they gave into that pull.

Almost simultaneously, both of them closed their eyes and leaned in closer, meeting each other’s lips.

Cathy knew what to expect kissing someone. She had shared kisses with the man she thought she loved in her past life. But this kiss with Kat led to sparks and Cathy felt more than she ever had with Thomas.

Kat had been kissed before, but this was nothing like the men. It wasn’t harsh and forced, it was simple and sweet. She also felt the sparks.

The two parted slowly, staring at each other with wide eyes. It took another moment for what just happened to fully sink in.

It took another minute for something else to hit them.

They had betrayed each other’s trust. They had just done what the men in their past life did to them.

Now, both queens recognized they had a crush on the other. It was something they struggled with at first. But they didn’t know about their feelings being mutual. So in their eyes, that kiss wasn’t equally wanted. The thought that they had broken the other’s trust, done the exact thing their tormentors did to them, was quickly taking over their minds.

This led to two panicking queens.

Cathy’s breathing became staggered and fast as her fingers quickly flew to her head, nails digging into her scalp. Her mind began racing with what had just happened. She drew her legs up to her chest and began rocking.

Kat’s own panic became even worse upon seeing Cathy panic. Kat’s brain quickly made the false link of Cathy’s panic to the panic of being betrayed (just as Kat herself had panicked so long ago—). Kat quickly began sobbing between gasps as she bolted from the room.

Everything became a blur for both queens.

Their minds looped on one, trauma fueled, idea. They had just betrayed the person they cared about most.

And they had loved it at the time.

~~||~~||~~

The other queens had all been in the living room. Jane and Anna were sharing a recliner, pressed against each other. Catherine was seated on one side of the couch, her fingers playing with Anne’s hair. Anne had her head on her girlfriend’s lap, the rest of her body stretched across the couch as she twisted the tangle and paid half attention to the conversation around her. Anne and Jane both looked half asleep as they all talked quietly with the tv playing softly in the background.

That tranquility was shattered when there was a loud thud. Kat came racing from the hallway. She didn’t stop to look at them, vanishing up the stairs in only a flash of pink and tears.

Immediately, all four snapped into action, the sleep vanishing from their eyes. Anne was off the couch in seconds and darting up the stairs in pursuit of her cousin. Anna was right behind her. Catherine and Jane made their way in the direction they knew Kat had come from, Cathy’s bedroom.

Catherine was the first in the room. She froze upon seeing Cathy.

The final queen was hunched over on her bed, fingernails digging into her head. She had tears streaming from her eyes as she gasped for breath.

Catherine quickly snapped into action as Jane entered the room behind her.

“I’ve got her.” Catherine stated. Jane nodded and quickly left the room again, closing the door behind her. Both of the queens knew that the last thing Cathy needed was multiple people overwhelming her.

Catherine made her way carefully over to the bed. “Mija?” She repeated the name several times.

Cathy uncurled slightly after the fourth time, but she was clearly still in the middle of her panic attack. Her hands came loose from her scalp and Catherine thought she had managed to make some progress in starting to calm the other woman.

But before Catherine could make any sort of move or even speak again, Cathy pulled her arm back and threw her fist at the bed with a loud cry.

Cathy couldn’t get herself to calm down. She could hardly register anything around her. The only thing she knew at the moment was that she hurt Kat. Kat was suffering because of her. The flashback that had crept up on Cathy after they broke the kiss only added to the mental pain.

So in a desperate attempt to calm herself down and clear her thoughts of everything that had happened, Cathy began punching her bed. When that didn’t work, she turned on her leg, punching at her own skin.

But suddenly, something gently took hold of Cathy’s arm, making Cathy flinch and her movements stop.

“I think this would be a better way to calm yourself, hmm, Mija?” A voice reached Cathy’s ears suddenly. She whipped her head to the side and saw Catherine standing there, calmly holding out Cathy’s fidget cube with her other hand. She had let go of Cathy’s arm.

Cathy’s breathing was gasped and quick as she still struggled to calm herself. Tears were still falling down her cheeks, but to Catherine’s noticeable relief, Cathy took the cube and began pressing at the buttons instead. She clicked at it with one hand, the other taking a painful grasp on her arm that held the cube, nails digging into her skin. Catherine didn’t try to stop it.

“Can I hug you, Mija?” Catherine asked gently. She wanted nothing more than to hug her goddaughter close to her and ask what was wrong, but she knew better than to simply do it.

Cathy gave a quick glance away from the cube before she nodded.

Catherine sat on the bed with Cathy, and calmly shifted the younger woman onto her lap. She wrapped her arms around Cathy’s middle and held her close. Cathy kept her eyes resolutely on the cube and her hand grasped onto her arm, but she melted into the embrace, letting Catherine hug her close.

Cathy leaned back into Catherine’s embrace, the older queen’s chin resting against Cathy’s head. The two didn’t know how long they remained there for, unaware of the actual time.

Soon, Cathy’s breathing slowed to a normal speed and her tears calmed as well. She shifted in Catherine’s lap so her side was pressed up against the queen instead of her back, her face buried in the crook of the golden queen’s neck. Catherine easily adjusted, one hand trailing up to gently run her fingers through Cathy’s hair and the other remaining around Cathy’s waist. Cathy’s hands remained latched to her arm and the fidget cube, grip on her arm loosening slightly.

“Now, what happened, Mija?” Catherine asked cautiously. “I saw Kat running up the stairs as well.”

Cathy paused and seemed to shrink slightly. Then she put the cube down and unlatched her hand from her arm, leaving blood behind. She slowly raised both of her hands to sign one word. ‘Kissed.’

That one word was all Catherine needed to connect the dots.

“Oh, Mija.” Ordinarily, Catherine would be thrilled for the two. But this was a very different circumstance. “Did you have a flashback?” Catherine asked gently.

Cathy paused before slowly nodding. During her panic over the kiss, she had definitely recalled some less than kind memories. Her breathing picked up again slightly as she quickly signed, ‘hurt her.’

“Hurt her? Dear god, Mija. You did absolutely nothing to hurt Kat. I promise you. She simply has her own trauma, just like you.” Catherine soothed, pulling Cathy closer to her chest.

Cathy took a deep, shuddered breath and raised her hands again. ‘I hurt her. I know it. Why else did she run?’

“No, Mija.” Catherine insisted. “Kat loves you, I know it. But just like you, she has been through a very horrible past life, and she’s still recovering. You need to give both her and yourself some time.” 

When Cathy rose her hands to begin signing again, Catherine gently placed a hand on them, lowering them.

“I know you probably don’t believe me.” Catherine said, watching Cathy. “But I think Kat had the same thought as you.” Catherine couldn’t forget the panicked, pink blur that had sprinted up the stairs. “Neither of you hurt each other. Both of you had a horrible time with love. You did not hurt her. And right now, I want you to focus on yourself, alright? You already told me that you also had a flashback. So what do you need me to do?”

Truthfully, Cathy wanted nothing more than to wallow in her sadness for several more hours. But everything that happened left her physically and mentally exhausted. It all happened so fast, and yet, it drained her just the same.

‘I’m tired. Can we sleep?’ Cathy finally signed. She was too tired and stressed to think properly. Her head was pounding and her arm ached.

“Of course, Mija.” Catherine agreed, but then she frowned, glancing at Cathy’s injured arm. “Let’s clean up your arm first, alright?”

Cathy nodded easily and left Catherine’s lap, waiting anxiously as the older queen left the room. It didn’t take but a moment for Catherine to return. Everything was a blur of different thoughts for Cathy as her arm was bandaged, and the first aid kit was laid on her desk.

Catherine joined her on the bed again after that and they moved their position so they were under the covers. Once they were settled, Catherine spoke again. “It will be alright, Mija. For now, sleep.”

Cathy burrowed herself into the safety of her godmother’s side, her hand gripping tightly to the older queen’s shirt. Catherine began to pull her fingers through Cathy’s hair, working through the mass of curls. The soothing movement worked to guide Cathy’s eyes shut.

Then, she fell into a restless slumber.

~~||~~||~~

While Catherine had helped Cathy, the same had been going on upstairs with Kat.

Anne and Anna had both dashed up the stairs after Kat. Worry and fear had taken over their bodies, pushing them faster after Kat.

Both women stopped in the doorway of the distressed pink queen.

Kat hadn’t bothered closing the door behind her, instead she sat hunched over on the edge of her bed, staring vacantly at the floor as she hugged herself. She was crying, sobs and tears escaping her.

“Let me handle this, Anna.” Anne said quickly, glancing at the taller woman.

Anna glances at both Anne and Kat for a moment before nodding. “I’ll go check on the others.”

Anne nodded gratefully as Anna stepped out, closing the door behind her.

Anne slowly made her way over and sat on the bed next to Kat. “Hey, Chaton… you alright?”

Kat tensed slightly, glancing at Anne out of the corner of her eye. She slowly shook her head, another cracked sob escaping her lips.

Without thinking or hesitation, Anne leaned forward and tried to wrap Kat in a hug.

Upon feeling the contact, Kat was quickly pushing herself away. She scrambled backwards until her back hit the headboard.

Anne froze before she began to mentally berate herself. She quickly shook herself out of it. She needs to comfort Kat right now, she could kick herself later. “Merde. Je suis navrée, Chaton. I didn’t think. You’re okay, I promise. I won’t touch you.”

Kat seemed to snap. “No, it’s not okay! It’s not fucking okay! I just fucked up, Anne!”

Anne’s face twisted into confusion. “What the bloody hell are you talking about, Chaton?”

Kat only shook her head, drawing her knees up to her chest and hiding her face behind them.

“Hey, come on Chaton. Talk to me, please?” Anne watched Kat for another second before slowly adding. “I’m really worried about you.”

There was a stretch of silence, then, Kat shakily spoke up.

“Annie.” Kat sobbed, shaking her head. “I’m just like them.”

Anne could only gape for a time. Confusion and shock quickly joined her concern. She knew exactly who Kat was talking about. “What?! There’s no fucking way you are anything like those— those bastards!”

“Then why did I hurt Cathy?!” Kat snapped back, pulling her head from her knees to glare at Anne. It wasn’t very effective.

“Chaton. I don’t know what happened. But I know for a fact that there’s no way in hell you would ever hurt any of us on purpose, Cathy especially.” Anne murmured, meeting Kat’s eyes.

“But I did…” Kat sobbed again, shrinking in on herself slightly.

“Then talk to me.” Anne said carefully. “Tell me what happened, Chaton. I just wanna help.”

Kat took a shaky breath, staring back at Anne for a moment. Then, she spoke three words. “I kissed Cathy.”

“I see.” Anne said after a moment. She tilted her head. “I thought that would be a good thing.”

“She didn’t want it.” Kat said, trying and failing to stifle another cry. “I kissed her and she didn’t want it. I’m just like them.”

Anne gave Kat a sad grin. “Are you sure that’s what happened?” At Kat’s look of obvious confusion, Anne elaborated. “I mean, Cathy definitely likes you back. So here’s what I think happened. I think the two of you kissed, you had a flashback, somehow came to the conclusion that the kiss wasn’t returned, and ran before you could figure out otherwise.”

Through her tears, Kat blinked almost owlishly at Anne. “I dunno, Annie…”

By this point, Kat was mostly calmed down and Anne could tell the younger woman was tired. It was as if the tears and panic had drained most of Kat’s energy, despite the short time it had been. Anne decided to stop the conversation there.

“Wanna sleep on it?” Anne asked gently, reaching out to place a hand on Kat’s knee, making sure her cousin could both see her and welcomed the touch.

“Please.” Kat said with a nod. Then she slowly added. “Stay with me?”

“Anytime, Chaton! You know I’ll always be here if you need me.” Anne said with pure confidence that made Kat giggle. Anne beamed upon hearing the noise.

The two settled into comfortable positions under the covers, curled into each other. A deep breath from Kat drew Anne’s attention.

“I don’t know what I’m gonna do.” Kat whispered, pressing her face against the crook of Anne’s neck.

“We’ll figure it all out in the morning, Chaton. I promise. For now, sleep.” 

Kat slowly relaxed into Anne’s arms, keeping her arms wrapped tight around the older’s waist.

Anne’s voice began whispering soothing words and humming softly, sending Kat into the world of dreams.

Kat and Cathy would both have a nightmare that night.

Kat would start moving and whispering in her sleep, urging Anne to ease her back to a more peaceful sleep before those movements and whispers became scratching and screaming.

Cathy would wake up scowling, but sobbing, tears leaving trails down her cheeks. Catherine would soothe her goddaughter back to sleep, the blue queen having a sharp recollection of this the next morning.

~~||~~||~~

When Kat woke up the next morning, there was an arm around her, holding her close to a warm body. Kat tensed but didn't open her eyes. The arm became a little tighter and a familiar voice whispered soothing phrases to Kat, letting Kat know that it was her cousin. Satisfied that there was no danger, Kat relaxed again. Anne also seemed satisfied that Kat was calm again and began a conversation with the second familiar voice of Anna.

Kat let herself drift slightly, still only half awake. The voices of her fellow queens faded in and out, Kat only catching bits of the conversation as she began to wonder why both of them were with her and what happened. She had forgotten most of what happened last night.

And just as she began to remember, one of the other two queens asked a question.

“Do you think Cathy’s alright?”

Everything came flooding back at once. The kiss. The panic attack. Anne calming her down.

Kat instinctively curled in on herself. She could hear the concerned voices above her as she began to sob again, her breath becoming panicked.

Anne began soothing her again and Anna quickly joined in. It took a long minute to calm the younger queen down. But even as she sat up she was still crying. “Did last night actually happen?”

“Yeah, Chaton.” Anne said gently, rubbing a soothing circle into her cousin’s shoulder. “It happened. But everything will be okay.”

“No it won’t.” Kat said, slowly shaking her head.

“Chaton, it will be—.”

“I just wish I didn’t fuck everything up.” Kat said, cutting Anne off with a deep breath. Anne could only stare sadly at Kat.

“Alright, we’re going to do something.” Anna spoke up, uncrossing her arms and walking to the door.

“What are you talking about?” Kat asked, watching Anna’s movement cautiously.

“Give me just a second.” Anna said before swiftly exiting the room.

As Anna left the room, Anne and Kat fell into silence, Anne fidgeting with the blankets and Kat staring down at the mentioned blankets. But it didn’t take long at all for Anna to return.

“Shower and get dressed.”

Kat squawked as a towel and change of clothes was thrown at her. Even Anne looked a little confused as she looked to the culprit, Anna, who had reappeared in the doorway.

“You need some fresh air. So get ready, we’re going on a walk. Anne, if the others ask where we went, you can tell them.” Anna said simply.

“Uh, okay.” It was Anne who answered. Her dumbstruck attitude had faded and she gave Kat an encouraging grin before hopping off the bed and heading out of the room.

It didn’t take long for Kat to shower and dress, and soon she was out the front door, Anna at her side with Jane telling them goodbye and sending Anna off with a kiss to the cheek.

Throughout the entire walk, Kat seemed more anxious than usual. She was constantly zoning out and when she wasn’t, she was watching the strangers they walked past like a hawk.

After the latest episode of Kat zoning out, Anna took a deep breath and gently led Kat over to the outside table of a restaurant.

“Talk to me, Kätzchen.” Anna said.

Kat glanced away from Anna. “I talked to Anne a bit.”

Anna chuckled, crossing her arms and legs as she leaned back in her seat. “And Anne told me the basics of what happened. But I wasn’t there, and I want to help you. Maybe it would be nice to talk about it again now that you’ve cleared your head a little more?”

Kat looked down to her lap, avoiding Anna’s eyes. The two remained in silence for several long minutes. Kat began messing with the cuffs of her sleeves and Anna simply watched Kat.

Just as Anna was about to tell Kat that dropping the topic was alright, Kat spoke.

“I betrayed her.”

Kat seemed to stumble on her words slightly, she suddenly met Anna’s eyes. “Cathy put her trust in me and I betrayed her. And I even liked it! Just like— just like—!”

“Kätzchen! Breathe.” Anna had gotten out of her seat and knelt in front of Kat now. The two hardly even noticed whether or not people were looking at them. “Breathe with me. Can I hold your hands?”

Kat nodded shakily, trying to copy Anna’s breathing. Anna gently took the pink queen’s hands and looked her in the eyes. The soothing words continued until Kat was calmer than before.

“I betrayed Cathy, Anna. And—!” Before Kat could continue with her train of thought, Anna interrupted.

“Did Cathy kiss you back?” Anna asked, an almost knowing look in her eyes.

Kat paused, thinking back to the moment. Anne had mentioned something similar last night… Suddenly, she realized their words may have been true. “Maybe…” Kat said slowly, still a little unsure.

“Then did you really betray her?” Anna asked, raising an eyebrow. “Because I don’t think you did.”

“Then why was she so scared?” Kat asked, her voice almost snapping.

Anna thought about it for a moment. “I think it’s the exact same reason you panicked. One, the last person she kissed was an absolute coward, yeah? But more importantly, I think that just like you, she was scared that she had betrayed your trust.”

“How can you be so sure of that?” Kat asked in a whispered.

“Well, you said she probably kissed back. But really, I think you and Cathy need to talk about this. Jane and I talked about our fears, you and Cathy should do that too.”

Kat stared at her before giving a shaky smile and the tiniest of nods. “I can try.” Kat said quickly, slowly getting to her feet as well. Anna grinned in return and got fully back to her feet.

“Komm schon Kätzchen, why don’t we head home?”

Kat agreed easily, a small smile on her face. She was still worried and anxious, but she would readily admit that Anne and Anna had both helped her. Now, she had the hardest task.

Kat needed to talk to Cathy.

~~||~~||~~

It was a few minutes after Anna and Kat left on their walk that Cathy awoke. Unlike Kat, Cathy remembered everything. It had been on repeat in her mind, even in her dreams. The pain in her arm and heart served as reminders.

So now she laid awake, Catherine holding her close as Cathy struggled to get her thoughts away from the events of last night and all those years ago.

Cathy needed to get up, do something to get away from it all. And coffee was the first step. It took several long and almost painful minutes for Cathy to escape Catherine’s embrace without waking her. But she soon accomplished it.

She quickly reached the kitchen after that, going straight for the coffee pot. She didn’t notice the other woman already in the room.

“I don’t think you should have coffee right now, love.”

Cathy jolted slightly before turning to the speaker, Jane, who was at the counter. “I really just need some coffee right now, Jane.”

“Why don’t we have a talk? I’ll let you have some coffee later.”

“Bribery, of course.” Cathy frowned, but she made her way over to the counter and leant against it.

Jane chuckled, now standing next to Cathy. “I know, but I really think it would help to talk.”

“And if I don’t want to?” Cathy asked, shrinking in on herself slightly as she began to rub at the fabric of her shirt.

“Well, I’m not going to stop you from leaving.” Jane said simply.

Cathy furrowed her brows, fixing her gaze on Jane’s shoulder.

It was another moment later that Cathy spoke up. “I hurt her.” She said simply.

“Cathy—“

“No!” Cathy growled, her hand had stopped rubbing at her shirt and was now clenched hard onto her bandaged arm again, irritating her already aching arm. She had begun swaying slightly, stare now fixed on the table. “I hurt her!”

Everything seemed to fade and blur for Cathy as she began to get overwhelmed. She thought that after last night, she couldn’t have a meltdown that bad a second time. That was very clearly incorrect. Her grip tightened as she focused on the pain, trying to escape the damned thoughts of just what she had done to Kat. Catherine was wrong, she knew it. Kat was hurting because of her dumbass decision. But a voice soon reached her ears and a soothing weight was draped over her shoulders.

“Cathy, I need you to breathe. I’m worried you’ll hurt yourself.”

At some point, Jane had vanished in silence and had returned with Cathy’s weighted blanket and fidget cube. She now held the latter out to Cathy. Cathy had ended up on the floor, pressed against the counter. Jane knelt in front of her, respectfully avoiding eye contact. Cathy let go of her arm to snatch the cube out of Jane’s hand. Her movements almost seemed more frantic than last night.

Cathy’s grip on the cube was so tight that her knuckles turned white and she began pressing the buttons harshly. She hunched further into the blanket, the weight working further to ground her. 

Jane simply watched as Cathy slowly calmed herself down. It was several minutes before Cathy’s grip loosened and Jane spoke.

“Are you alright now, love?” Jane asked gently, still respecting the other woman’s space.

Cathy seemed to ponder the question before slowly nodding.

“That’s good.” Jane said with a breath of relief. The two trailed into silence again before Cathy slowly put the cube down on her lap.

‘What do I do?’ Cathy signed, staring at her shaking hands instead of the other queen.

Jane regarded Cathy for a moment. It didn’t take but a few seconds to figure out what Cathy was questioning. “I think… the best thing you can do right now is talk to Kat.”

Cathy glanced to Jane.

“I know. It’s the last thing you want to do.” Jane said with a small, nervous laugh. “But… trust me, it helps.”

Cathy took a deep shuddering breath and shakily began signing. ‘Do you really think she would listen? I hurt her.’

Jane shook her head. “Cathy. You did not hurt her. I talked to Catalina and Anne. She was scared for a completely different reason. Please, just trust me.”

Cathy stared at the ground for a long moment before finally nodding. She took a deep breath and signed, ‘okay. I’ll talk to her.’ Jane smiled and Cathy picked up her cube and held out her free hand. Jane took it in her own and began rubbing the back of Cathy’s hand with her thumb.

After several minutes of this, Cathy glanced up at Jane again. “Can I have some coffee?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“How about I let you have some later today?” Jane asked with a laugh. “Right now, I think you should head back to bed before Catalina gets worried.”

Cathy frowned with displeasure at the refusal of her favorite beverage but relented with a small huff. She let Jane help her to her feet, keeping the blanket draped over her shoulders, before heading back to her bedroom, where Catalina remained.

She had a lot to think about. And a certain queen to talk to.

~~||~~||~~

The rest of the day, both queens stubbornly stuck to their rooms, kicking the others out. They were trying to sort through their thoughts before they talked to each other.

That night, Kat woke up from a nightmare. It wasn’t one of her worst nightmares, but she still felt like she wouldn’t go back to sleep.

So she slipped out from under her covers and made her way down the stairs into the kitchen.

Kat stopped in her tracks, standing in the doorway. Cathy stood in front of the coffee pot. She had heard someone walking and turned around. Both of them had frozen and were simply staring at each other.

“Coffee this late?” Kat finally spoke up, her usually teasing tone filled with anxious energy.

Both of them were trying so nervously to act normal. Trying to avoid the tension in the room.

Cathy hummed. “I just wanted something to drink… and what are you doing up?”

“Nightmare.” Kat said with a shrug, pulling a snack from the cupboard.

“Sorry I asked.” Cathy apologized with a frown.

“It’s fine.” Kat replied simply. Her eyes trailed to the bandage still on Cathy’s arm, where she had gripped at her arm. “Can I ask about the bandages?”

Cathy winced. “I hurt myself after… everything.” Cathy didn’t need to elaborate more on that. The pain they had felt was mutual, only healed slightly by the other’s talks.

“Shit, I’m sorry Cathy—.”

Cathy took a deep breath before turning her body to fully face Kat. “We need to stop avoiding it.”

Kat grimaced at the sudden interjection. She seemed to shrink slightly, but gave Cathy an agreeing look. “Yeah… you’re right.”

The two found themselves seated at the table, across from each other. They were silent for a moment before both spoke at the same time.

“Listen, I’m sorry—!”

“Cathy, I’m so sorry—!”

Both of them stopped, mouths open and confused.

“What are you sorry for?” They both said at the same time, causing them to pause again.

“I’m sorry I hurt you.” Kat said first.

“You didn’t hurt me… I thought I hurt you…” Cathy said slowly.

That was the exact second they realized the others had been exactly right. They had assumed the worst.

Kat felt shock. Anne and Anna had already told her that this could be the truth. But she still had her doubts. And now, it was confirmed by Cathy herself.

Cathy’s breathing became quick and gasped. But she wasn’t scared, she was angry. She was angry at herself for the sheer panic she had felt. She had panicked over Kat and then she panicked more over the past, and everything felt like it had fallen apart, leading to her hurting herself and Catherine and Jane both having to talk her down. Why had she been so idiotic?

Cathy found herself shakily standing from her chair at some point as she began pacing, nails digging into her scalp yet again. She didn’t know what to do with herself, where to direct her rage.

But before she could do anything other than pace, hands gently caught her arms.

Kat stood in front of her, watching her carefully and maintaining the gentle pressure on Cathy’s arms. “Hey, hey. It’s okay, Cathy. We both made the same mistake. You did nothing wrong.”

Cathy could only shake her head as Kat gently lowered both of them to the ground. She sat across from Cathy, gently rubbing the back of the other woman’s hands.

‘I’m an idiot.’ Cathy pulled her hands way from Kat’s grasp to begin signing.

“What?!” Kat seemed a little in shock. “No you’re not!”

‘Why was I so scared?’ Cathy managed to sign. Her hands were trembling.

“Cathy, I had a similar reaction for the exact same reason.” Kat said slowly, respecting Cathy’s hate of eye contact. “And I’m beating myself up just as much as you are. That doesn’t make us idiots.”

Cathy winced as she slowly began to calm at Kat’s words, realizing the truth in Kat’s few words. ‘You’re right. Sorry.’ She signed, her gaze trailing up towards Kat’s face slightly.

‘Don’t be sorry. It was the men who caused our fears. They’re the reason we panicked so much.’ Kat also began signing, giving Cathy a gentle smile. ‘Blame them.’

Cathy slowly nodded, almost completely calm now. ‘Hope they’re in hell as we speak.’

Kat snorted as she signed her reply. ‘Definitely agree with you.’

They moved until they sat next to each other against the cabinets. Just like Jane and Cathy had done as well. Silence overcame the room now as both of them sorted through thoughts.

‘Sorry.’ Cathy soon signed with a frown. ‘For having another breakdown.”

Kat gave her a smile in return. ‘You’re completely fine.’ She signed back.

The two lapsed into another silence. The silence wasn't awkward, it was a comfortable one. At some point, the two had begun holding hands.

Several minutes went by until Cathy spoke up, her voice scarcely above a whisper. “Sometimes… I still hear them yelling at me and I remember how much it just… hurt.” She frowned at the floor. “It hurts.”

Kat took a shuddering breath, nodding her understanding. “I still feel them sometimes. I thought I loved them… at first. I was young and thought they loved me. That was just a dream... Well, I guess it’s a nightmare now.”

Cathy bit her lip. “I thought I loved Thomas… I think I only loved him at first, when he was calm and caring… but later, I don’t think I ever loved him then…”

Kat tugged Cathy into a hug, which was quickly returned. The two women held each other close.

“I’m sorry I panicked. I thought I hurt you… had a flashback too.” Cathy explained, leaning her head against Kat’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry too.” Kat said, shaking her head. “The same thing happened to me.”

“I meant the kiss…” Cathy announced, staring at the doorway with a frown. “Every second of it.”

“Glad I’m not the only one.” Kat joked with a giggle, earning a happy chuckle from Cathy. Then, Kat’s face twisted into determination. “We’re stronger than them. I don’t want to let them hold me back.” She glared at the air, almost as if she was looking straight at the men.

They slowly pulled out of the hug as Cathy hummed her agreement. Then, she quietly asked a question. “I agree fully…. Can we try again? With a date this time?”

Kat beamed and let out a breath of relief. She hadn’t been too worried though. Cathy said she meant the kiss, and that meant the feelings were mutual all along. “That sounds wonderful.” Then she paused slightly before sheepishly asking, “Can I stay with you tonight? Or do you want to be alone? I know everything has been really hard—!”

Cathy smiled and huffed out a laugh against Kat’s shoulder, cutting off the pink queen’s ramble. “Of course you can. And we can plan the date tomorrow. We’ll also have to find a way to thank the others…”

“Maybe we could get something while we’re out? Or make breakfast? We definitely owe them something.” Kat agreed. They knew that they definitely owed the others something big for helping their mental states the day before. If they didn’t help, they probably would have avoided each other for much longer, and just how wrong they had been in their thinking would have been a harder pill to swallow.

“Hmm, we’ll think of something.” Cathy agreed with a chuckle.

Just like that, their relationship had a fresh start.

That new start involved a date. A date where they where they stopped by their usual place of the café and bookshop. They would save the new experiences for next time.

And in their eyes, that date was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Mija = Goddaughter  
> Chaton = Kitten  
> Merde = shit  
> Je suis navrée = I’m so sorry  
> Kätzchen = Kitten  
> Komm schon = Come on
> 
> You better believe the other four were absolutely overjoyed that Parrward managed to work everything out.
> 
> Why is it that when I mention something, I go into a spiral/rant on the backstory about it? I mean, I don’t dislike it, I’m just confused. We had The Lullaby in the last story and then Cathy’s traits (more specifically, her flapping her hand) in this one, granted, this one wasn’t the length I usually rant for, but still. I just had that realization earlier today and felt the need to share.  
> Oh look, I did it (slightly) again in the notes!
> 
> I also didn’t mean for this to get this long or become mostly the queens comforting the duo. Am I complaining? No. I just didn’t expect it.

**Author's Note:**

> Chaton = kitty  
> Querida = darling  
> Verrücktes Mädchen = crazy girl  
> Ma reine = my queen
> 
> I told myself no angst, but considering what these queens have been through and how their last relationship turned out? I should have expected this.
> 
> I actually already have Jane and Anna’s plotted out, I just decided that Araleyn should come first and I don’t really know why.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed!


End file.
